Gobby Belgian leaves the 'Network'

From Chicago Addick's blog

Umm?? So what actually does this mean about our standing in the network?



AllHell

 

Charlton are to the Network what Russia were to the Allies in WWII?

 

So basically on their own and not liked by anyone... but in the long run probs would have won it themselves?

 

My feeling is that the penny may be dropping that Charlton in the Premiership may well be worth more to 'the Network' than SL being in the Champions League?

 

............in which case I might even join the Rara brigade..........

 

I agree. Two reasons stand out at the moment.

1) The fact that we have been given Buyens on a years loan (who played a lot for them last year) plus we have been linked with other 1st choice Standard Liege players. Also - Liege have sold Michy Batshuayi with no apparent replacement coming in (maybe he is saving the money from that sale and investing it in Charlton - potentially where the money for Vetokele came from).

2) The order of the games in the Stayen Cup. It looks as if the 'undercard' if you will, features the lower classed teams in the network and then builds to a match up between the network heavyweights of Standard Liege & Charlton on the Saturday evening. Then finishes with 90 minutes of football by 'the biggest network club' aka Charlton tomorrow afternoon.

Of course I may be reading into things incorrectly and be completely wrong...

 

We are Charlton ! We will rise !!!!

 

I don't think buyens played much last year under the new manager, but more so the year previous. A Belgium journo pointed out RD wouldn't have wanted an asset once valued at 2M sitting in the sidelines again.

 

So what about the quote from the Bulge Journo that Buyens was on the edge of the Belgo WC squad?

 

As a smallish nation they don't have that many good players to choose from. Once you get past their chosen 23 there are probably forty more mediocre players with equal claims to selection. So the quote could be true, but not very significant.

It has been noticeable in this World Cup how the "minor" nations, who have done well and livened up the tournament, are failing because they don't have quality players to replace those who are injured or tired during matches. No depth in their squads and this is costing them.

 

One hopes that is true. But RD is a successful businessman and has owned football clubs for some time. Surely he would have assessed all that long ago? It is not as as if anything much has changed in that respect.

 

Oh that England could have sent 23 quality players. On a world stage, we can't field 11, yet there are always those who go into it thinking we will win.

 

You live in Spain, don't you, Ken? I don't think there was much expectation that England would do well this time. Even the gutter-press didn't hype up our chances much. It was the weakest England squad I could remember, and I have been following since 1958, and I think that was the general assessment.